An American Story of Real Life CHAPTER 6.
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"That was a horrible affair, last night," Handy said to Ware, on their meeting next morning.
"Horrible, indeed! I was never so shocked in my life."
"So it was Mr. Pandora, then, with whom we were playing. He head man of that splendid establishment."
"How do you know?"
"Havn't you seen the newspapers this morning?"
"I have seen one or two, but none of them contained any allusion to that affair."
"Here is one, then, which has the full particulars. And rather too full to please me."
"How so?"
"Just listen to this," drawing a newspaper from his pocket, and reading:
"Desperate Rencounter at Pandora's Splendid Establishment in Chestnut Street, and Death of one of the parties.--Last night at about ten o'clock, as Pandora, the principal proprietor of the gambling rooms in Chestnut Street to which we have alluded in the caption of this article, was engaged at play with a couple of young bloods of this city, whose names are in our possession, an individual came up and insulted him, when a fight ensued, which terminated in the death of the latter, who received several severe stabs in the side, one or two of these penetrating his heart.
In return, he dealt Pandora a fearful wound in the abdomen, which, it is thought, will terminate fatally. We have not yet learned the name of the deceased. We understand that many young men of respectable standing in society were found in this establishment by those who rushed in from the street as soon as the fatal affray became known. One, in particular, was noticed there, the son of a wealthy merchant, who is engaged to one of the sweetest maidens us the city--a rich heiress. Poor girl! Though now the envy of thousands, if she should become his wife, we fear that the time will come when she, in turn, will envy the lot of even the most lowly and obscure, in whose habitation rests the sunshine of peace."
"Too bad! too bad!" ejaculated Henry Ware, pacing the room backward and forward with hurried steps. "Confound these meddlesome newspaper editors! What has our being there, to do with the murder that was committed? Just nothing at all! But, to make an interesting paragraph--we must be lugged in, and others into the bargain! And he says, moreover, that he has our names--and I suppose, will publish them tomorrow."
"If he does, I will cut off his ears!"
"Better cut his head off before he does it. Why, I wouldn't have it known, publicly, that I was there for the world."
"You might at once bid good-bye to Bell Martin, and her father's money, if that were to happen."
"And that it will happen, I fear there is little doubt."
"Why so?"
"Does not this meddlesome scoundrel say that he has our names?"
"Well?"
"Of course, now that he has published that fact, he will be called upon by the Attorney General to give the names, that we may be summoned as witnesses for the prosecution, in the trial that will ensue, should Pandora survive his wound, which Heaven forbid!"
"True! true!" Handy said, with a troubled look.
"If it comes to that, it will be a death-blow to my prospects. The fact of my having been in a gambling-house, and engaged in playing with Pandora, which will appear from my own testimony
on oath, will at once foil all my hopes."
Handy did not reply to this for some time, but sat deeply absorbed in thought. At length he said--
"Everything looks dark enough in your case, Harry, I must confess. But I think there is one hope."
"What is that?"
"That you may be able to secure Bell's hand before the that comes on. In the mean time, you must make fair weather, if possible, with the Attorney General, and get him to keep your name from transpiring as one of the witnesses, until the last moment."
"Thank you, Tom, for that hope. I see there is still light ahead. But this vagabond editor--what shall we do with him? Suppose he were to publish our names?"
"He must not do that. I will see him today, and endeavor to secure his silence."
"Do so, if possible. But what if old Martin's eye has caught this unfortunate paragraph? His suspicions will be almost certainly aroused."
"You must allay them."
"How?"
"Do not ask me. Surely you are possessed of enough cool impudence for that. Visit there as formerly--and with as frank and easy an air. If the affray last evening is introduced before you have time to allude to it, converse about it freely. Do you take the idea?"
"Perfectly--and shall act it out fully.
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